I hate feeling this way!

This is a discussion on I hate feeling this way! within the Home (And Away From Home) Defense Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; I swear I've become paranoid since our first move into our rental and now SUPER paranoid now that we're in our new house.
The first ...

I hate feeling this way!

I swear I've become paranoid since our first move into our rental and now SUPER paranoid now that we're in our new house.

The first move was into a decent but not great neighborhood. Worse then in our old house, but not a "BAD" neighborhood. It made me take my security a little more seriously, but we got to know our neighbors pretty well and so I was only a little paranoid because at least I had them looking out for us as well.

Now that we're in the new house I get super nervous just walking down to get the mail. And this is a nice, quiet, family friendly new development. Heck, not 15 mins ago I did a sweep of the house because I heard a strange noise and swear someone tried to yank open our back slider...but I don't know if it was at the locks max range because I tested it earlier or because someone tried to open it. I'm sure it was because I tested it (I always give it a yank to make sure it's locked, but never push it back to snug closed afterwords.) The basement slider was nice and snug, so I'm thinking I'm just paranoid, because who would climb the stairs of the back deck to try to come into a backdoor when that level of the house is fully lit, when you have a nice dark basement to sneak into?

I seriously need to take some Prozac or something and chill out. I'm sure its just because of the area being so new to me, unfamiliar places make me nervous in general, so being in an unfamiliar neighborhood and a new house is just making me worse I suppose.

I really cant wait until I have a better alarm dog again. My greyhound just doesn't cut it. I'm sure I'll sleep better and be less paranoid when I have a reliable pooch who will tell me when something's up instead of a couch potato that sleeps 23.5 hours a day.

Yep time will teach you the normal sounds of the new house and neighborhood. Why wait for a new alarm dog make the trip down to the local pound with your present dog and let him/her help you pick a new addition to your home. A quick trip to a hardware store will net you a couple of mounted pin locks for your sliders and motion lights mounted in your dark areas will provide you with more peace of mind.

Just give it some time until you get comfortable with the new noises in your new house and neighborhood, go to your local hardware store and buy everything that will help you secure the house better and make you feel more comfortable (deadbolts, pin locks, motion activated lights, etc.), consider installing a home alarm system, buy a set of low cost surveillance cameras from Radio Shack to install around the house (front door and back yard) and buy a guard dog to patrol the house. I recommend you buy a German Shepherd since they are very family friendly, excellent guard dogs, intelligent and very easy to train. Another good idea is to pay a visit to your local police department and speak with them in order to get acquainted with the local police, ask them about crime stats in the area, ask them how often they patrol your neighborhood and if they have any advice they can give you to better protect your home. It was a good idea to get acquainted with your neighbors since now they will keep an eye for you. Another good idea is to take a Saturday morning to drive around your neighborhood and local area in order to get acquainted with everything. This will help you feel more at home and know all the roads, alleys and potential dangers that exist.

I completely understand your feeling. I moved 8 months ago to Germany and the first 2 weeks I was at my new apartment I slept with a Bowie Knife and a baton next to my nightstand (no firearms allowed here!). I kept waking up all night for every little noise I heard and a couple of times I could've sworn that I heard someone breaking in the house and was all paranoid. I sure missed my firearms! Nonetheless, now I sleep like a baby and I feel very safe. It is very normal when you are in a new home to feel this way.

By the way, what firearms do you have for home defense? If you don't already have one, get a 12 gauge shotgun to keep close by your bed and you will sleep like a baby.

"To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowardly. How pathetic." Ted Nugent

PLEASE seek professional counseling. What you are feeling is not normal. I am not saying this to be cruel, but I would not feel comfortable having you for my neighbor the way you're feeling and having access to a firearm(s). I'm sure most of us feel that firearms and alcohol don't mix. The way you're feeling could have the same bad consequences. Good luck.

+1 on that! All a BG has to do (beside try to smash is way through) is take a glass cutter, cut a 1/2" - 3/4" arc at the corner, remove that little piece of glass, insert a screw driver and pop the dowel out of place. I can't find these in stores, but they work great! BurglaBar is the product. Ive used them since the early 1980's (need to get them for my new apartment in Washington). The only way to defeat this device is by smashing through, or removing the static door from the frame. BurglaBar - The Silent-Entry Sentry

It takes a while to get used to a new house. I grew up and lived the majority of my life in a single floor home. Bought a 3 floor condo, and it took me months to get used to the noises, and the feeling that someone could be coming in on 2 levels. It really freaked me out for a while. I added locks to the sliders. That helped a lot.

You definitely need to get another dog! I've had 2 greys. The first one never barked at anybody! She'd only bark if she was hungry or wanted to go out. The second one is a fierce watchdog. He growls and barks at people walking down the street. He sounds like he wants to rip your face off but he's really gentle as a lamb! It's all a big act!

A few years ago we moved to Florida. We had a bunch of older teens in the neighborhood that liked to cause mischief. Motion detector lights all the way around the house kept the little buggers away! I also added locks to all the sliders, we have 3. And floor to ceiling windows. Those have additional security features on them.

Yeah, thinking it over I seriously think it all stems from loosing our alarm dog in December. We lost her JUST before we moved (like...days), I think the stress of that, plus two moves in a period of three months just has me stressed out. And then to top it off, new house, new sounds, no pooch to watch my back.....I'm just paranoid. Our new pup is due to be born mid-May. I know he wont be up to alarm dog standards until he's a bit older, but I think just even having him and having him in training will help. For now I'm going to just install some motion sensor lights and try to relax a bit. I don't think I need professional help, I'm not pulling my gun at shadows, I'm just on edge. I think I made myself sound worse then I am, realize that pre-carry I would have checked out my house with a baseball bat in hand, and I would have gone down to check my mail with a "walking stick". It's more of a "prepared" then a "ready to fire" paranoid LOL. Seriously, there wasn't even one in the chamber the other night.

It doesn't help having all sorts of workers in and out of our cul-d-sac either. I honestly cant tell who's supposed to be around and who isn't, and I like to know that sort of thing. Nothing like waking up to two guys parked across the street from your house just sitting there (they were waiting for their foreman...but still!) to make you slightly nervous.

Get ADT man! I never had a security system until about 5 years ago. Now I couldn't imagine not having one. When the doors or windows are opened the little chimer goes off and that helps having kiddos. No one gets in or out without me knowing.